Car-coupling



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS L; MOKEEN, OE EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming par of Letters Patent No. 325,847, dated September8, 1885.

Application filed February 19, 18E5. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS L. MOKEEN, of Easton, in the county ofNorthampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new K part of oneof my improved car-couplings. Fig.

2 is a side elevation of the other. part of the coupling, part beingbroken away. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of a part of the coupling,taken through the line as x, Fig.1. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the otherpart of the coupling, part being broken away and the coupling'pin beingshown in section. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of one part of thecoupling. Fig. 6 is a sectional front elevation of the same, takenthrough the line y y, Fig. 1.

The object of this invention is to improve the construction of thecancouplings for which Letters Patent Nos. 301,737 and 301,788 wereissued to me July 8, 1884, in such a manner as to make them simpler inconstruction, more convenient in use, and more reliable in operation.

The invention will first be described in connection with the drawings,and then pointed. out in the claims.

A represents the draw-bars, which are made with open sides and withperforations in their rear ends for the passage of the draw-rods B. Eachdraw-rod B is designed to be provided with aspring or springs in theordinary manner, to lessen the jar in starting and stopping, and is alsodesigned to be secured to the frame of the car-body by keys or othersuitable means. The draw-rod B, at a little distance from its forwardend, is provided with ahead, 0, which rests against the forward side ofthe rear end of the draw-bar A, and thus sustains the draftstrain.

The projecting forward end of the draw-rod B serves as a guide to therear end of thespiral spring D, placed within the draw-bar A, and

the rear end of which rests against the head 0 of the said draw-rod. Theforward end of the spiral spring D rests against therear sideof thefollower E, and is kept in place by a p1n, F, formed upon thesaidrea'rside of the follower. The top and bottom of the follower E areprovided with grooves E, to receive the guide or guides G, placed Withinor cast solid with the draw'bar A, so that the follower will be whollywithin the draw-bar, and will thus be protected from accidental injury.

The rear end or bend of the guide G, when made in one piece and separatefrom the drawbar, is perforated to receive the head 0 of the draw-bar B,so that the said rear end will be held securely in place.

The forward end of the lower guide G rests in a recess, H, in the rearend or shoulder of the link-block I, formed upon or attached to thebottom of the forward part of the drawbar A. The said block I limits theforward movement of the follower and prevents it from coming in contactwith the coupling-pin M.

In the forward side of the follower E 18 formed a recess, J, to receiveand center the end of the coupling-link K as it enters the draw-head.The follower E, when in its normal position, projects a little beyondthe end of theupper guides G, so that the stud or pin L, attached to orformed upon the rear side of the lower end of the coupling-pin M, willproject into the upper groove'of the follower to support the saidcoupling; pin when raised above the link K. The projection L also servesas a stop to prevent the coupling-pin M from being raised out of thedraw-bar acoldentally. The coupling-pin M is inserted in a hole, N,formed through the'upper and lower parts of the drawbar A.

In the rear side of the lower part of the hole N is formed a groove, 0,to receive the projection L when the coupling-pin M is lowered.

In the forward side of the upper part of the holeN is formed a taperedor V shaped groove, P, to receive a correspondingly-shaped projection,Q, formed upon the forward side of the coupling-pin M, to prevent thesaid pm from turning. The projection Q terminates at such a distanceabove the projection L that when the coupling-pin M is raised to bringthe said projection L close to the lower surface of the upper part ofthe draw-bar A the lower end of the projection Q will be above the uppersurface of the said upper part of the drawbar, so that by turning thecouplingpin M partly around the lower end of the said pro jection Q willrest upon the top of the drawbar, and the said pin cannot be made todrop by a jar, and the cars can be run together without coupling.

\Vhen the cars are to be allowed to couple as they are run together, thepin M is turned to bring the projection Q over the groove I, and thesaid pin is lowered until the projection L comes in contact with the topof the follower and stops and supports the couplingpin until the saidfollower E is'pushed back by the impact of the end of the entering linkK, which allows the pin M to drop into place throughthe said link,coupling the cars.

The upper side of the link-block I is inclined, to guide the link K intoplace when entering the draw-bar from the draw'bar of a higher car. Therear part of the link-block I is perforated transversely to receive thebolt R, to which are attached the ends of the linklifter S, the middlepart of which rests in a groove at the forward end of the li-nkblock I,so that it cannot be struck by the link K when entering the drawbar, andwill be out of contact with the said link when the cars are coupled.

One end of the bolt R is bent forward to form a crank-arm, 'I, which isconnected with and operates by the system of levers shown and describedin Letters Patent Nos. 301,737 and 301,738, to raise the link-lifterinto contact with the link K, to guide the said link into the draw-barof an adjacent car when the czars are to be coupled.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head A, having theremovable longitudinal guides G, of the follower E, having grooves E inits upper and lower faces, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head A, having theguides G, of the spring-pressed follower E, having grooves E, andprojecting beyond the end of the upper guide, and the coupling-pin M,provided with the pin or stud L, substantially as herein shown anddescribed. v

3. Theincliued link-block I, secured to the draw-bar in front of thefollower E, to guide the link and carry and protect the link-lifter S,as set forth.

4. The link-lifter S, in combination with the link-block I, as shown anddescribed.

THOMAS L. MCKEEN.

Witnesses:

O. SEDGWIOK, Enw. M. CLARK.

